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Devonshire-class Frigate
The Devonshire-class of light frigate was the standard colonial security vessel for the Royal Space Navy of the United Commonwealth for over twenty years between 2368 and 2391. Twenty eight examples were built for the RSN plus many more for export customers. Designed as a system security ship the Devonshires were refitted throughout their careers and by their retirement were often operating as fleet escorts. These refits added more and more weapons, electronics and sensors, and by the time they were retired the Devonshire-class was considered extremely cramped with limited living space for the ever growing crew. From 2390 the Devonshire's were replaced by the more flexible Ridgeback-class of escort frigates. Royal Space Navy Units The RSN built its examples in three batches. The basic hull configuration for all three batches was virtually identical, the only major visible differences been in the external sensors and weapons fit. The first four ships (D500-503) were fitted with the Mk.27A EVA airlock whilst all subsequent ships used the more advanced Mk.31. Internally the main differences were in the Combat Information Centre and the main power reactor. The Batch Three ships featured a redesigned layout in the crew quarters which went some way to improving living standards. *Batch One Ships - F500 HMS Devonshire, F501 HMS Darwin, F502 HMS Daring, F503 HMS Derwent, F504 HMS Duntroon, F505 HMS Dashing, F506 HMS Dubbo, F507 HMS Defiant, F508 HMS Deloraine, F509 HMS Dumfries. *Batch Two Ships - F510 HMS Digby, F512 HMS Durwood, F513 HMS Dundee, F514 HMS Dragoon, F515 HMS Declan, F516 HMS Dragon, F517 HMS Donegal, F518 HMS Decoy, F519 HMS Defence, F520 HMS Duncan, F521HMS Doomba. *Batch Three Ships - F522 HMS Dorset, F523 HMS Durraween, F524 HMS Dawson, F525 HMS Dundas, F526 HMS Donnaconna, F527 HMS Derwent, F528 HMS Drummond. Foreign Operators As well as the twenty four units operated by the Royal Space Navy the Devonshire-class was originally operated by the space fleets of the Asian Co-Prosperity League (two examples), Carthage (three examples),? the Free Cities of Mars (four examples), Kenya (four examples plus an unarmed training ship), and Saudi Arabia (two examples). The Martian and Kenyan ships have been retired and replaced by Ridgeback-class ships.? The ACPL and Saudi vessels have recieved numerous upgrades and refits over the years and are expected to continue in service for at least another five years.? The Carthage ships have been without spare parts since the UC imposed sanctions on Carthage following the attempted occupation of Pastajo. When the class was retired from Commonwealth service a number of hulls were purchased back from the government by British Exospace who refitted them to a configuration suitable once again for system security duties. The first customer for these ships was Saudi Arabia who purchased two ships plus two stripped out hulls for spare parts. South Africa purchased four examples fitted with a pair of heavy anti-ship missiles, and three hulls were sold to Armed Protection Service (International), a "private security contractor" agency headquartered on Atlas Background The Devonshire-class is the RSN counterpart to the real world Type-21 Amazon-class http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_21_frigate%7CAmazon-class frigates built for the Royal Navy in the 1970's and which saw service up until the 1990's when they were sold off to Pakistan. These ships were intended for general duties in the North Atlantic but refits and "mission creep" saw them fitted with more and more gear onto an already crowded hull (Vosper Thornycroft didn't leave enough room for future kit). Category:Spacecraft Category:UC Spacecraft